
IS IT THE END OF THE LINE FOR FISH
After its successful international premiere at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival in Utah, The End of the Line is finally coming to UK cinema screens. Based on environmental journalist Charles Clover’s book, it’s a disturbing and powerful film about one of the world’s most shockingly ignored problems – overfishing.
For centuries we’ve assumed the ocean’s resources to be limitless – we can take what we like but there will always be ‘plenty more fish in the sea’. Now we know better – advances in fishing technology and too many boats chasing too few fish mean that we’re now on the verge of losing whole species of wild fish; over the past century our fishing fleets have emptied the seas so successfully that many stocks of familiar fish such as cod, tuna and salmon are close to collapse.
The situation is so grim that unless we change our wasteful and destructive ways we could see fish stocks collapse around the world. We can’t afford to lose this essential food source – an estimated 1 billion people worldwide depend on fish for their main source of protein. Hundreds of other ‘non-food’ species are also threatened because they are victims of industrial fishing methods – ‘accidentally’ caught in nets and on long-lines, then thrown back into the sea dead or dying.
The End Of The Line examines what we are doing in our relentless quest to catch fish, and points the finger at the politicians, corporations and chefs who are to blame.
Take a look at the trailer and you’ll see that this is more than just another film; it carries campaigning messages very similar to that of our own oceans’ campaign – calling for the sustainable consumption of fish, for large-scale marine reserves to allow the seas to recover, and for a new ethic of responsible fishing.
We think this film is essential viewing, and Greenpeace is proud to be supporting it up and down the UK, and in other countries across the world too. Check out the website for a screening near you, and book your tickets early to avoid disappointment.
The film will be launching in cinemas around the country next month on World Oceans’ Day, June 8th – please go and see it if you can, and tell (or take) your friends and family too. Not only is it important that lots of people get to see the film, and get the message, but the success of the premier screenings on June 8th will help get the film wider screening in cinemas in weeks and months to come.